10. Eli
ELI
The heavens smile on us, and we make it back to the school just as the fourth-grade class tromps onto the stage in their snowman costumes, waving their hands around. Glittering fake snow falls from the stage like diamonds as they burst into a jazzy, upbeat rendition of ‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas.’
Crammed in amongst the other amused parents and neighbors, Melody and I watch from our place against the wall.
“Which one is your nephew?” she whispers.
I point out Matthew in the front row, hamming it up twice as much as his classmates. My answer makes Melody laugh aloud.
Their class gets a standing ovation. The pageant finishes with the fifth graders and some ending announcements before everyone files out the door toward the exit.
“Eli!”
I freeze at the sound of my mother’s voice ringing across the main hallway, and Melody looks at me curiously, but I don’t meet her eyes. This is not how I want her to meet my family.
“I didn’t think you came!” Mom scolds me, approaching as I turn to face her and my father.
My sister and brother-in-law are nowhere in sight, and I assume they’re waiting for Matthew with his other grandparents.
“I’ve been here,” I answer nonchalantly.
My dad’s eyes widen with interest when he finally notices Melody standing next to me.
“You could have come and said hello at least,” Mom chides me, also cluing into the fact that Melody is with me. “And who is this?”
I tense, but Melody puts a gentle palm on my arm and extends her right hand toward my mother first.
“Melody Lane,” she introduces herself.
Mom grins, accepting her proffered hand, and I realize I again misread the tone of her question.
“Hello, dear,” Mom says enthusiastically. “Oh, you’re Lucy’s granddaughter, aren’t you?”
Melody nods, her face shadowing slightly.
To my utter amazement, Mom envelops her in a giant hug. “I am so sorry about your grandma, dear. She was such a pillar of this community. Everyone who knew her loved her.”
Blinking, I gape at my parents. Not once in all the years that I dated Jill did Mom ever show her a hint of affection.
“Thank you, Mrs. Barton,” Melody says sweetly as my mother releases her. She offers my father a tentative smile and handshake.
“Well, I see now why you didn’t want to be sitting with your boring family,” Mom teases. “You were in much prettier company.”
Dad gives me a sideways glance and a small nod of approval.
“That’s not true!” Melody and I protest in unison.
“Look! They’re talking together already! Are you finishing each other’s sentences yet?” Mom jokes.
I give my parents a mock glare. “That’s enough out of you two.”
“We’re going back to the house for cookies and milk,” Dad tells us. “Will you join us? I imagine Matthew will want to give a play-by-play of everything that happened tonight.”
Melody and I exchange a look, and Mom smoothly interjects. “I think we should let the young people do young people things, dear. Matthew can fill his uncle in later, during one of their video game matches.”
Relieved, I shoot my mom a grateful look, and we wish them goodnight before heading out toward my truck.
“Your parents are lovely,” Melody tells me as she climbs into the passenger side, and I secure the door for her.
"They're all right," I quip, but I'm thankful for them every day.
"I'm surprised they weren't asking you about a wedding date," she teases as I pull out of the parking spot.
“What?” I sputter. “What wedding date?”
She laughs and reaches across the center console for my hand. “Didn’t you say they were always bugging you to get married and have grandkids?”
“Oh!” I laugh nervously. “Yeah, that’s a private ribbing. They wouldn’t do that in front of you.”
I decide to take the scenic route back to drop off Melody, looping down Main Street to enjoy all the brightly lit shops with their dazzling display of fairy lights.
“Oh, my gosh!” Melody gasps. “Pull over! Pull over!”
Alarmed, I do as I’m told and find her straining out the car window at the Painted Twilight Theater.
“What’s wrong? What’s going on?”
She points up at the marquee, partially obstructed by the sun visor, so I have to duck to read what got her so excited.
“Oh, wow!” I read the Christmas movie playing tonight. “‘Miracle on 34th Street’!” I sit back and look at her. “Want to go?”
She glances at the time on the dash and nods. “We have to hurry, though. It’s starting in a few minutes.”
Turning off the car, I hurry to let her out of the passenger side and back into the gently falling snow. She slips her arm in mine, and we rush toward the elegantly decorated theater, newly remodeled and restored to its old splendor.
A giant blue spruce on either side of the foyer glistens in dripping icicle lights, the gleam catching the streaks of gold in Melody’s hair. I can’t help but stare at her in awe, her rosy cheeks flushed and excited as she tugs my hand eagerly toward the ticket booth.
“Let’s go,” she urges when I stop, but I force her to pause, too. A look of uncertainty passes over her face when she reads my expression, disappointment overcoming her. “You don’t want to go.”
I shake my head and finally move in to brush aside that one random curl that never wants to stay in place. Tucking it behind her ear, I bow my head down.
“I want to go,” I reply. “I want to go everywhere with you.”
She still seems wary as I cup her cheeks with my open palms and bring my lips slowly to her lips. Her body sinks as if in relief, and she gently presses her mouth back against mine, the two of us sharing the long-anticipated kiss I wish I’d been brave enough to steal before.
Slowly, we part, although I could have happily stood in that moment forever, flanked between the glimmering eight-foot trees, inhaling the warmth and wonder of Melody Lane.
“We really are going to miss the beginning,” she tells me with a grin, but she makes no move to pull away as she stares into my eyes.
“I’m pretty sure I know how it ends,” I tease. “But let’s go. I could use some caramel popcorn.”
We link arms again and head off to buy our tickets, Melody resting her head casually on my shoulder.
This is the best Christmas I’ve had in a long, long time.